Revolution by Jennifer Donnally

Andi Alpers knows tragedy. After the sudden death of her ten-year-old brother, she’s watched her family systematically fall apart. Her mother coped by slipping into a deep, vegetative depression; her father coped by falling in love with his twenty-five-year-old colleague; and Andi coped by drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, and music. When she faces possible expulsion from a prestigious school, her father decides to reenter her life. As a last-ditch effort to save his family, he checks Andi’s mother into a mental hospital and takes Andi with him on a business trip to Paris, where he’s supposed to conduct DNA tests on a child’s heart to see if it belongs to Louis-Charles, the missing son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

While in Paris, Andi finds a journal written by Alexandrine Paradis, a girl her age who lived during the French Revolution. As Andi reads Alexandrine’s journal, truths about the revolution unfold and reveal the cruelty performed on the young prince. Drawing parallels between Louis-Charles and her little brother, Andi slowly finds a new way to cope with her brother’s death. She starts to make friends, fall in love, and care about living again. While exploring the catacombs one night, Andi finds herself transported to 1795, and she has one, last chance to save the prince…and herself.

This book needs a prologue. The entire time I read this novel I felt as though pertinent information was missing. I never developed a connection with Andi, her brother, or their story. A connection between reader and characters would be much stronger if the reader had a glimpse of the family before the tragedy to create perspective.

Andi was supposed to be a musical prodigy writing her senior thesis on the composer Malherbeau. Although research was necessary to add to the depth of this novel, it was steeped in unnecessary information that broke the flow of the plot and dulled the interest of the reader. All of the musical references and descriptions grew monotonous and made me want to set the book down and not pick it up again.

Another frustration with the book was the romance between Virgil and Andi. This entire relationship was forced and artificial, and it needed to be omitted. I understand that Virgil was supposed to mirror Virgil from Dante’s Inferno as he led Andi through the catacombs of self-discovery, but it failed. I despised this plotline.   

Overall, I gave this novel three stars because I loved learning about the French Revolution. I wish the author had eliminated Andi’s plotline and focused entirely on Alexandrine, Louis-Charles, and the events of the French Revolution. 

The Whole Stupid Way We Are by N. Griffin

Dinah and Skint are best friends. Dinah is flighty while Skint is moody. Dinah worries about the beauty of things while Skint worries about Monks being tortured in Burma and people starving to death. While Dinah is worried about matching her stripy skirts and leggings, Skint refuses to wear a coat in the Maine winter as a form of self-punishment for having luxuries while others suffer. Dinah has two loving parents who adore her while Skint’s father suffers from dementia, and it’s ripping his family apart. All Dinah wants to do is help Skint. All Skint wants is for Dinah to mind her own business.

The basic premise of this novel is unique. I like the idea that it’s not enough to care about injustices; we need to DO something about them. If we aren’t part of the solution, we are inadvertently a part of the problem. I don’t think enough YA communicates this important message.

The plot is slow-moving and boring. Part of this is due to the disjointed sub-plots that are never developed as well as the shallowness of the characters (all of them). The voice of each character is unique; however, it isn't believable. For instance, there are times that Dinah speaks like a woman from the Victorian era instead of a fifteen-year-old from 2012. To offset this, Skint curses a lot, which seems a bit overused. I know that the author uses this technique to convey emotion, but most of the scenes are flat, so it isn't very authentic.

The scenes are repetitive, poorly developed, and monotonous. Nothing interesting happens until 80 pages before the end of the book (the novel is 349 pages). By then, the reader has lost interest. In fact, I had to force myself to finish it. As a result, I would not suggest this novel to any of my students.

When You Wish Upon A Rat by Maureen McCarthy

3.5 Checks

Ruth Craze is an eleven-year-old girl living in Australia with her eccentric family. Life seemed more bearable with her Aunt Mary Ellen to even things out, but since her death, Ruth feels frustrated and disgusted with her life. One of the last gifts that Mary Ellen gave Ruth was a magical rat and the warning not to “let him rule you.” Now that Mary Ellen is gone, Ruth has nothing to lose. She gets three wishes and she plans to make the most of them.

Although this novel is considered middle grade (6^th-8^th), it’s really geared for eight to twelve year old children/tweens. In fact, any audience older than twelve might find the plot babyish and boring. However, I read this novel with my nine-year-old daughter and she really enjoyed it. As a result, my review is based upon her reaction, not mine. After all, the novel was written for her demographic, not a 33 year-old professor.

McCarthy does a good job of addressing some very real issues that exist for tweens: sibling rivalry, cliques, parental favoritism, physical abuse, and friendship. By giving Ruth the opportunity to create “the perfect life,” she learns the importance of family, loyalty, and kindness. Because the novel is set in Australia, young readers will struggle with most of the slang and references. In addition, even though the novel is told from Ruth’s perspective, her voice isn’t very authentic; it reads like an adult trying to sound like a child.

Advanced young readers might find this book enjoyable if they have an adult present who can explain vocabulary and historical information to them (i.e. how children were forced to be right-handed when they were left). Otherwise, many will probably give up on this 281 page story, which drags in a several places. 

ARC courtesy of VOYA
Publication: September 2012

The Drowning House by Elizabeth Black

4.5 Checks

Photographer Clare Porterfield has been summoned to return to her hometown of Galveston, Texas, to complete an exhibit for prominent businessman and family friend Will Carraday. Living in the aftermath of a devastating loss that has led to the inevitable crumbling of her marriage, Clare makes the journey from D.C. to Galveston. Part of her wants to run away from her failed life, but part of her is drawn to the home that she was forced to abandon ten years earlier after a tragic accident.

As she researches the Carraday photos and archives to prepare for the exhibit, she uncovers secrets that are better left buried and lies that prove deadly. The closer she gets to discovering the truth, the more she realizes that she’s at the center. Everyone in this story has a secret, some of which are almost too painful to discover.

Elizabeth Black’s writing style is so flawless that her descriptions captivate the reader almost as much as the actual plot. Her ability to weave intriguing historical facts of Galveston within the suspense of the present-day story makes it hard for the reader to put it down. Through such skillful writing, Black is able to make the reader feel Clare’s impatience for learning the truth with every turn of the page.

Although I enjoyed the quiet unfolding of this book, I became frustrated by the lack of clarification for certain important details. Several times I felt as though there was an inside joke, or story, I needed to know in order to interpret comments or allusions. The book ended without ever cluing me in to the inside story. As a result, I ended the book with questions that never received answers.

Overall, people who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy Black's debut novel. I look forward to reading more books by her. 

ARC received at ALA 2012

Publication Date: January 2013

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

MiKayla, Shane, and Harley come from homes that are broken – either physically or emotionally. Each one has watched the breakdown of their parents’ love and feels the void that it creates. It’s this void that propels each one of them into relationships in search of the love that they don’t feel at home.

Hopkins does a great job of portraying different facets of relationships through each character. She shows the innocent intensity of first loves, the dangers of placing our trust and lives in the hands of those who might not deserve it, and the importance of staying true to ourselves. Each character develops an obstacle based on choices they made that he or she must overcome. As they work through their options and face the cruel judgments of others, they realize that redemption and hope still exist.

ARC received at ALA 2012

Publication Date: September 2012

**Companion to Triangles

PS Thanks for sneaking Karin and I a copy, Ellen!

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

After the sudden death of her father, her rock, seventeen-year-old Jill is trying to cope the best way that she knows how – by unleashing her anger and self-loathing on everyone around her. During the ten months following the accident, Jill has managed to alienate her friends, her boyfriend, and her mother in a feeble attempt at self-preservation. While she is busy living in her downward spiral, her mother decides to fulfill a dream that she and her husband shared. She wants to adopt a child and give it a loving home. When Mandy, the “human incubator” arrives, Jill must learn that loss comes in many forms. While some people lose the ones they love, others lose things like innocence and security. As everyone awaits the baby’s arrival, their lives begin to intertwine and they learn that a little bit of kindness goes a long way.


 Zarr has a very poignant writing style. Each of her characters has a distinct voice and personal perspective that adds to the depth of the story being told. This is a story about a lot of things. One of the main things is looking below the surface to see the core of something. While Jill hides behind anger, piercings, and dark eyeliner, Mandy hides behind her angelic looks and quiet compliance. They’re mirror images of each other, each suffering silently. However, although Mandy seems slow and ignorant, she’s honest with herself while Jill can’t quite seem to do the same. 

**Spoilers**

Although I enjoyed this book, I was a little disappointed that everything worked out perfectly in the end. Even people who want to spread kindness to people who are less fortunate tend to experience some form of resistance. It was almost as if the mother was too perfect. She never seemed to get upset, and she was more than willing to comply with unreasonable demands (i.e. no adoption agreement, the father of the baby). Although I like novels to end on a hopeful note, I also like them to be realistic. Even the love triangle was quickly and pleasantly resolved, where no one got hurt and no one was upset. 

But, still, despite the ending, I think that the overall message is important. People need to extend kindness. Every action has an equal or lesser reaction. Why not have that action be kindness? Who knows? Maybe it could save a life. 

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

Hope is a twelve-year-old girl who walks in on her fourteen-year-old sister, Liz, holding a gun, and contemplating killing herself. When Lizzie is institutionalize, Momma goes off of the deep end, even more so than when Daddy died. As Hope unravels the mystery as to why Liz would want to kill herself, she realizes that her Momma has secrets that she’ll go to any lengths to keep buried.

The biggest distraction for me while reading this novel was the writing style. I have read Lynch-Williams’ The Chosen One (2009) and marveled at her beautiful, powerful, and poignant descriptive writing that draws the reader into the world of the novel and makes her connect so strongly with characters that she feels what they feel. Which is why this novel was a disappointment. I teach creative writing, and simply because someone can arrange a series of simple sentences into a poetic format does not make it good poetry. Not only that, but this format really took away from the “meat” of the story.

The story is told through Hope’s eyes as she flashes back and tries to remember things about her sister, Liz. Unfortunately, the content of the novel is so sparse that the reader never feels like she gets to know Liz at all. Instead of connecting to Liz like I did Kyra (The Chosen One, 2009), I simply felt sorry for her for having the mother than she did. While I spent days agonizing over the events that happened to Kyra, I closed Glimpse (2010), said to myself, “Man, that mom was really messed up,” and, then, picked up The Perks of Being s Wallflower (1999) to shake off my annoyance.

I like reading books in verse. Some of my favorites are by Ellen Hopkins and Stephanie Hemphill. I also know that it’s becoming the new “fad”in the writing world. Unfortunately, not everyone can execute it well. This book should have been in prose and it would have blown everyone away. Description is Carol Lynch Williams’ strength.

You Don't Know Me by David Klass

John lives a life of survival. People look at him and see a quiet kid who goes through the motions, but no one really knows him. No one knows that he longs for a father who abandoned his family, he lives with “the man who is not my father” who beats him regularly, and he loves Glory Hallelujah who seems perfect in every way. The only one who sees through the façade is John’s band director, Mr. Steenwilly, who encourages him to seek help when he notices bruises. Even though John knows what “the man who is not my father” will do if he ever tells, he finds strength in Mr. Steenwilly’s belief in him. Knowing that someone cares gives John the courage to fight back when “the man who is not my father” takes it too far and threatens to kill him.

Klass writes a very realistic portrayal of abuse and the secrets that victims carry with them out of very real fear. Told from the first person POV, and almost with a Faulknerian style, the reader gets to see events, people, and John – himself – through an unfiltered lens. Also, the author refused to describe the main character so that it could be anyone. We make a lot of assumptions; however, we rarely know what’s really going on in people’s lives simply by looking at them - hence, the recurring theme of “you don’t know me.”

Although some people may find the stream of consciousness distracting, I felt as though it added authenticity to John’s voice by contrasting the John that people saw on the outside with the real John that lived inside of his head. Another aspect that added authenticity to this novel was that no one was perfect, and each person had their own version of reality.

The benefit of this novel is that it provides a window into young adults suffering from abusive homes. The goal isn’t to demonize the mother for not knowing, victimize John for suffering, or immortalize the teacher who tried to help. The goal of the novel, to me, was to show what the many facets represents. Kids don’t always act out when they’re in pain. Sometimes, they simply fade into he background. In fact, there’s a scene in the novel where Klass depicts an algebra class where students are so insecure about being called on that they purposefully wear clothing to blend in with posters on the wall. That’s what abuse victims do throughout life. If they become invisible, then the hope is that the abuser won’t be able to land that hit, and no one will be able to see the permanent bruises left behind.

Prey by Lurlene McDaniel

McMillian High School has a new history teacher, and she causes quite a stir. Lori Settles is young, smart, and sexy. Sporting skin-tight clothing and stiletto heels, she quickly becomes the center of attention for every male in the school. However, she sets her sights on her fifteen-year-old student, Ryan Piccoli. She makes plans to have him-mind, body, and soul. She's developed her plan and executed it perfectly, only she didn't expect someone to find out...

This novel deals with the taboo subject of teachers having affairs with their students. It addresses very real issues of "consensual" sex and when someone is considered a predator. It also introduces the very real conflicts that vistims feel when they try to work through the "love" that they have versus the violation that others tell them that has occurred. Unfortunately, the author doesn't really address the after-effects of abuse as well as she could, which leaves the story incomplete.

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

When he was twelve, Josh Mendel had a very adult affair with his twenty-four-year-old history teacher, Eve. Now, five years later, Eve is being released from prison, and Josh has mixed emotions. Was he really molested? Or, was it a consenual realtionship? Why did his parents force him to press charges and ruin everyone's life? As he relives those secret moments from his past, Josh shows that when the lines between teacher and student get blurred, bad things happen.

Barry Lyga addresses the taboo subject of teachers being sexual predators. Against the backdrop of a middle school setting, he takes a stark and honest look at how authority figures draw in susceptible students and abuse their power. Although many readers are turned off by the predator being a woman (because it plays into stereotypes), Lyga's goal is to effectively show the devastating effects of sexual abuse, which he does - regardless of gender. As Josh works through his conflicting emotions about Eve being released and takes on the guilt for everything that happened five years prior, Lyga shows that circumstances aren't as cut-and-dry as people like to pretend.

This book will make readers uncomfortable. It should. It doesn't gloss over sexual abuse. (And, teachers who have affairs with students ARE sexual predators.) Instead, Lyga walks the reader through the process that predators use to lure their victims and keep them silent through guilt and shame. This book goes into sexual detail and doesn't glamorize the inapporpriate relationship between Josh and Eve, which adds to its validity and importance. Instead, it faces it head-on, and makes the reader think about how every action has a lesser or greater reaction. Just because we refuse to talk about something, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

Rage by Julie Anne Peters

Johanna only wants one thing - Reeve Hartt. Reeve consumes her thoughts, her dreams, her reason for living. With an intensity that borders obsession, Johanna makes it her mission to make Reeve hers before their senior year is over, which gives her approximately fourteen days. Through a twist of fate, the two girls are thrown together, and they ignite a passionate love affair that turns abusive. Throughout the novel, the reader experiences the emotional roller coaster of their turbulent relationship, and learns that the line between abuser and victim is blurred when everything hinges upon RAGE.

Peters gives an honest view of an abusive relationship, and the manipulation and lies a victim tells herself to keep from facing the truth. Disturbing.

Burn by Suzanne Phillips

"But Cameron doesn't want people knowing he's hurting. He doesn't think wearing it on the outside will help him any" (p. 25).

Cameron was an intelligent, friendly freshman until he becomes the target of merciless bullying from upperclassmen jocks. Making it their mission to abuse him emotionally and physically, their leader takes it too far when he decides to sexually assault Cameron in the locker room one day. As a result, Cameron decides to retaliate, and what follows leads to multiple arrests and one person dead.

This novel is an excellent example of how bullying can lead to deadly consequences when adults refuse to acknowledge the warning signs and intervene before it is "too little, too late."